Anna Olson Theo 1001 Sec. 123 Prof.

Julian Hills 12/15/10 The setting as well as the main conflict of this story is lifted directly and unashamedly from the 1987 French film Au Revoir Les Enfan s! directed by Louis Malle. The theological question on which it is based is whether or not monastery life was an esca e! from the outside world" featured on the last two ages of the course notes for unit #. $b%iously" the question there was focused on the medie%al monasteries" but the setting of &orld &ar Two in occu ied France seemed better suited to the to ic" rimarily because the outside world! infiltrated e%ery as ect of life. Therefore" the question became not only whether or not mon's could ignore the outside world" but" when adding (ewish refugees into the mi)" whether or not mon's should ignore the outside world. * also tend to be bad at titles" if you can forgi%e me for omitting one. Word Count: 1357 (anuary 19+1 $ccu ied France "a her Rene ha# $an% reasons o #isa&&rove of 'ro her An hon%. "irs ! An hon% ha# no co$e o he $onas er% in (ha Rene sa( as he ra#i ional (a%. 'ro her An hon% ha# )een o universi % in Paris! (i h he ai$ of s u#%in* no heolo*%! )u li era ure. "a her Rene #i# no +no( $uch a)ou he colle*e life! no havin* )een here hi$self! )u he sus&ec e# ha An hon% #i# no co$e o he $onas er% ,a &ure $an-. Secon#! An hon% (ro e &oe r%. . (oul# no have )een a &ro)le$ if he ha# s uc+ o reli*ious o&ics! *lorif%in* /o# an# His crea ion! )u he ha# chosen o $ove a(a% fro$ such su)0ec s! focusin* in(ar#! on his o(n e$o ions as (ell as on he o)servance of o hers. His (a% of eachin* &oe r% o he )o%s in heir s$all school reflec e# his en husias$ for he su)0ec . "a her Rene ha# s&o+en o hi$ s ron*l% #iscoura*in* his $e ho#s! )u An hon% con inue# o i$$erse his s u#en s in (or+s ha oo+ heir a en ion a(a% fro$ heir o her s u#ies. Thir#! an# his (as he reason ha he (oul# no a#$i o an%one! he (as 0ealous of An hon%1s see$in* affini % o for$ close rela ionshi&s (i h ever%one aroun# hi$. He (as charis$a ic! rela a)le! an# frien#l%! all rai s ha "a her Rene see$in*l% lac+e#. All he fa her (an e# o #o (as o share his +no(le#*e (i h he )o%s (ho $ore of en han no (ere (a%(ar# an# s u))orn! an# no (illin* o lis en. 'u le 'ro her An hon% s&ea+ (i h he$ an# he% lis ene# (i h ra& a en ion an# re$e$)ere#

(ha he ol# he$. There (ere hree o her $a0or reasons "a her Rene (as #is&lease# (i h 'ro her An hon%! an# he (as (a chin* he$ &la% ou in he cour %ar# (i h ano her )o%. Their na$es (ere 2arc! 3ves! an# Jean4 'a& is e! al hou*h (he her or no hose (ere heir real na$es (as unclear. 2arc! he ol#es of he *rou& a four een! (as alrea#% all! $uscular! an# i$&osin*. 5es&i e his a&&earance! he (as no a )ull%. On he con rar%! he chose o &ro ec he s$alles of he $on+s1 char*es fro$ &ersecu ion! so$e hin* ha o hers (oul# no #o for fear of )ein* ri#icule# or &h%sicall% har$e#. 6o one! #urin* he si7 $on hs 2arc ha# )een here! ha# #are# o challen*e hi$ o a school%ar# fi*h . 3ves! he secon# ol#es ! (as (elve an# a *if e# &rac ical 0o+es er. His nu$erous &ran+s (ere (ha ha# earne# hi$ res&ec a$on* he o her )o%s earl% on! )u no(! han+s o he influence of 'ro her An hon%! he onl% &la%e# 0o+es ha (ere sure no o cause oo $uch har$. Ten4%ear4ol# Jean4'a& is e (as s$all! sh%! an# 8uic+ o avoi# confron a ion. He coul# of en )e seen ou in he li le enclosure (here he $onas er% +e& a fe( chic+ens! hel&in* o fee# he$ an# o collec he (ar$! )ro(n e**s fro$ heir nes s. The hree never (en an%(here (i hou he four h )o%! Olivier. He (as heir rin*lea#er! he one ha ha# hel&e# he$ hrou*h he firs #ifficul $on h a he school! no o $en ion one of he $ore &o&ular )o%s a$on* his class$a es in *eneral. He (as he one (ho ha# sho(n he$ all he secre hi#in* &laces in he $onas er% an# he fores aroun# i . He ha# *iven 3ves hin s on (ho (ere he easies )ro hers o &ran+. He ha# firs in ro#uce# Jean4'a& is e o he chic+ens. "a her Rene (on#ere# (he her Olivier +ne( (ha he +ne( a)ou he hree )o%s. .f he ha# +no(n he% (ere Je(ish! (oul# he have )een so (illin* o a+e he$ un#er his (in*! as he ha# #one9 :oul# i have $a#e hi$ $ore &ro ec ive of he$9 Es&eciall% no(! (hen )efrien#in* he$ (as even $ore #an*erous han )efore9 The% ha# co$e in 2a% of las %ear! he /er$ans! ra$&in* over "rench soil 0us as he% ha# #urin* he las (ar. Overni*h ! he (orl# ha# )eco$e a far $ore #an*erous an# sinis er &lace. 2an% ha# $ove# ou lon* )efore! fran ic o esca&e he lon*! inesca&a)le ar$ of 5er ";hrer. The $on+s1s

con*re*a ion (as #(in#lin* )% he #a%. . (as aroun# ha i$e ha 'ro her An hon% ha# s$u**le# he hree )o%s here in he #ea# of ni*h . The% ha# )een here for nine $on hs! an#! han+ he Lor#! ha# no )een foun#! even (i h a 6a<i )ase ca$& si ua e# onl% a)ou (en % $iles nor h of he $onas er%. . (oul# no )e lon*! hou*h! "a her Rene +ne(! )efore he% (ere foun# an# a+en a(a%. Alrea#% he /er$ans (ere )e*innin* o loo+ a he $on+s (i h sus&icious e%es. Even hou*h $an% of he sol#iers ca$e #ail% for confession! i (oul# no )e a savin* *race if an% hin* (ere o &rovo+e heir scru in%. Rene ha# s&o+en o An hon% he ni*h )efore! a e$& in* o convince hi$ of hese fac s. ,Surel% (e coul# hel& he$ *e ou of Euro&e al o*e her!- he su**es e#. ,To A$erica! .srael. 2an% o her refu*ees have alrea#% foun# sanc uar% here.,The )or#ers are alrea#% close#!- An hon% re&lie#. ,An# even if he% (eren1 ! (e #on1 have enou*h $one% o sen# he$ a(a%. 3ou +no( ha as (ell as . #o. There is no o her safe &lace for he$ han here.,. #on1 )elieve ha here are no o her safe &laces. :h% here9 :h% no an%(here else9,:h% no here9- An hon% loo+e# in#i*nan . ,The $onas ic ra#i ion has u&hel# sanc uar% for hun#re#s of %ears. . is ri*h ha all (ho see+ sanc uar% shoul# fin# i here. :h% #en% i o an%one no(9,3ou have no consi#ere# he conse8uences of %our ac ion. 'rave as i (as! . can ell %ou no( ha i (ill )e fu ile. The /er$ans (ill fin# ou . The%1ll no ice ha here are hree s u#en s in our school (ho are su&&ose# o )e *oo# =a holic )o%s an# %e never s an# o receive co$$union #urin* $ass. The% are su&&ose# o )e on he loo+ou for hese +in#s of hin*s. . )e* %ou! $ove he$ so$e(here else )efore he% *e +ille#.An hon% (as )arel% su&&ressin* an*er. "a her Rene coul# ell 0us fro$ he loo+ on his face. His voice (as #ece& ivel% cal$ as he re&lie#. ,. +no( he% (ill )e foun# even uall%. .1$ no a fool. 5o no for a $inu e insinua e ha . have no hou*h of ha ou co$e. .1$ $ore errifie# of i ever% #a% han . a$ of an% hin* else. 'u 0us

)ecause he% (ill )e foun# #oes no in an% (a% e7cuse us fro$ he res&onsi)ili % (e have o(ar#s hose in nee#. Es&eciall% no no(! (hen here are hose $os in nee# of hel&! an# (e are ca&a)le of *ivin* i o he$.The% #i# no s&ea+ for a fe( $inu es. An hon% a&&eare# o re*ain his co$&osure. ,. han+ /o# ever% #a% ha he% haven1 )een foun#!- "a her Rene sai#. ,As #o .!- An hon% re&lie#. ,Thou*h! if he /er$ans haven1 co$e for he$ %e ! $a%)e he% never (ill. 2a%)e he%1ll never +no( he%1re here.,"or heir sa+e!- Rene sai#! ,. ho&e %ou1re ri*h .-

'o h of he$ ha# +no(n fro$ he )e*innin* ha he sol#iers (oul# co$e one #a%. The% ha# &ra%e# i a(a% lon* enou*h. "a e (oul# in ervene! sooner ra her han la er. An# he% finall% #i# co$e! five all /er$an sol#iers. 6o enou*h o s o& he "rench ar$% )u enou*h o errori<e a $onas er% hi#in* hree Je(ish )o%s. The $on+s (ere o )e in erro*a e#. 6o con en enou*h (i h he lives of hree chil#ren! he /er$ans nee#e# he acco$&lices! he ones ha ha# #are# o assu$e he% coul# esca&e he rules of he Thir# Reich. The% ha# &lanne# ever% hin*! ha# line# u& he $on+s o )e 8ues ione# in#ivi#uall%! (hen 'ro her An hon% ca$e for(ar# an# sai#> ,. alone )rou*h he )o%s here. .! an# . alone! +ne( he% (ere here. . ha# no ai# in concealin* he$ save ha of /o# Al$i*h %.A )rave an# s u&i# lie! hou*h "a her Rene. The hree )o%s an# 'ro her An hon% (ere le# in o he cour %ar#! in fron of he en ire school! $os of (ho$ (ere fiercel% hol#in* )ac+ ears a he si*h of heir errifie# frien#s an# a heir $en or )ein* a+en a(a%. ,5o no cr%!- An hon% ol# he$! , he sun shines an# %ou are s ill %oun*.Of all he )o%s! Olivier! he closes o he hree! (as cr%in* har#es .